When people encounter what they consider unfair remarks or relationships, they're apt to use these four words: Why me? Why this? But a selfless woman of a century ago provided the probing reply: “No Wound? No Scar?” Those familiar with the life and works of Amy Carmichael will immediately recognize them as from her writings. For those not aware of her: she was an Irish Christian missionary to India, who in 1901 founded the Dohnavur Fellowship. This was a sanctuary through which she would rescue more than 1,000 vulnerable children and young women from Hindu temple prostitution rites.
In addition to supervising the daily housing, feeding, and emotional care of her “rescued,” she formed a Protestant religious order to assist her.
In 1931, she prayed, “God, please do with me whatever you want. Do anything that will help me to serve you better.” That day she fell, suffering fractures of her leg and ankle, and badly injuring her hip and back. Those injuries, plus neuralgia, left her bedridden for the rest of her life. Yet she continued to run the rescue mission from her bedroom. Her “children” and staff affectionately called her “Amma” or Mother, although she never married or had children herself. Her work eventually led, in 1948, to the outlawing of child prostitution in India.
Before dying in 1951 at age 83, she'd requested no stone to mark her burial place. Instead, those she'd rescued put over her grave site a birdbath engraved with her endearing title, Amma. But her faith and spirit continue to teach through her writings, particularly a poem about spiritual sacrifice titled “Hast Thou No Scar?” It's put to music in this You-tube video: Bing Videos
The heart-piercing line in her poem is this: “Can he have followed far who hast no wound or scar?”
The Fellowship still exists, with about 500 people on 400 acres, 16 nurseries, and a hospital. A recent website about the mission is here: Bing Videos For a deeper look into her life and mission, there is her biography A Chance to Die, by the late, honored author Elisabeth Elliot.
Amy Carmichael's biography still inspires, with its message of generational faithfulness. That's also the message behind a song by a well-known contemporary musician, Steve Green. Listen to it here (and reflect on your own calling): Bing Videos
